One of the highlights of Norfolk's bird-watching calendar is happening this week.

Hundreds of thousands of migratory wading birds are expected to arrive in the county at Snettisham.

The 'Snettisham Spectacular,' as it is known, will begin on Wednesday September 8 at 6am and will continue for the rest of the week .

This special event occurs due to huge numbers of knot birds being forced off mud flats at Snettisham beach by the incoming tide.

Eastern Daily Press: Hundreds of thousands of swarming knot birds are expected to be on displayHundreds of thousands of swarming knot birds are expected to be on display (Image: © ARCHANT NORFOLK 2016)

This creates a breathtaking scene as the great mass of swirling birds whirl around together in order to find a new resting spot on the mud flats, before they finally settle on the other side of the lagoon at high tide.

Knots might not be the biggest of birds but some travel thousands of miles to reach our shores.

Muddy estuaries, like The Wash, are their favoured winter feeding grounds. They probe the salt flats looking for worms and shellfish with their stocky beaks.

More information and a full timetable of when the 'Snettisham Spectacular' can be witnessed can be found on the RSPB website.